Judge Says No Vote Needed on StL Stadium

(AP) – The effort to build a new riverfront football stadium in St. Louis got a big boost Monday when a judge ruled that approval from city voters is not necessary to use city tax money for the project.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Tomas Frawley’s ruling voided a city ordinance requiring voter approval for any project using tax dollars for a professional sports facility. He called the 2002 law’s language confusing and vague.

He also ruled that the stadium plan does not break a state law requiring it to be “adjacent” to the city’s convention center, even though several blocks separate the two sites. Frawley ruled that Missouri courts have determined that “adjacent” simply means nearby.

The ruling is a win for supporters of a stadium proposal that’s part of an effort to either keep the Rams in St. Louis or lure another team. The Rams currently play in the Edward Jones Dome, which is outdated by NFL standards. The new stadium would be along the Mississippi River